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  Ideas To Help Power Your Gift Shop - May 4, 2016 |
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On Our Radar
* Vanishing Messages.
Users of Facebook Messenger will be able to specify how long their messages last before they disappear with a new feature that appears to be on the way.
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Hot Topics:
Manufacturer Competition
In a popular recent discussion, retailers are sharing names of manufacturers who sell directly to consumers online. Some say they've signed up for companies' consumer emails, just so they can see the deals being offered. An Arizona shop owner found one popular bag line offering 30% off, free shipping and free gifts: "Can I compete? Impossible! Bad enough we can't offer a line's every color and style, but compete on price?" Join the discussion in our Buying/Product forum. Reminder: Access to Giftbeat's Community Board is FREE for subscribers.
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Quick Links
- We added some new pins to our Display Creativity board. Please take a look and get inspired!
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Tip: Theme Your Workweek
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|  | | Vicki Meyer Adrian | |
Feeling overwhelmed by myriad tasks? Retailer Vicki Meyer Adrian of Remarkable Retailer advises shop owners to create "themes" for each day of the week and to "batch" work into files based on those days. For example, make Monday your day for financials. "Put some of your least favorite tasks at the beginning of the week to get them out of the way," she says, such as checking all bank accounts and authorizing payments. Note: Subscribers can read Vicki's full interview in the May issue of Giftbeat.
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Pick: Blankie Tails' Mermaid Blankets
Have you noticed all the fun mermaid product in the marketplace? It's definitely trending this year, from jewelry and T-shirts to beverage holders. One of our favorite newcomers is Blankie Tails, cozy and colorful mermaid blankets offered in toddler, children's and teen/adult sizes. The super-soft blankets are made in a double-sided minky fabric, a perfect gift for mermaid enthusiasts of all ages. Sugg. retail range: $34.95-$39.95.
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Trend: Anklets For Summer Style
 We've been seeing more ankle bracelets show up in fashion magazines and blogs, with Glamour calling anklets the new "micro trend" for summer: "The thinner the better -- and all the better for layering." Beaucoup Designs captures the trend in a new collection that celebrates the enchantment of the ocean, with mermaids, seashells, seahorses and more mixed with colorful beading. Sugg. retail: $18. |
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Feeling Inspired
"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother."
-- Abraham Lincoln
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Happy Mother's Day to all the awesome moms out there! See you next time.
Joyce Washnik, Editor Giftbeat
P.S. Want to learn how to make your shop irresistible to customers? In her new book, Shops That Pop!, author and researcher Pam Danziger shares 7 steps to transform your store from ordinary to extraordinary, with real-life examples from 17 top-notch specialty retailers. |
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